-1Chapter Ten: Morning After

"If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world."

-Mercedes Lackey

Returning to consciousness was a steady throbbing and a growing nausea that wouldn't continue to be ignored by the simplicity of sleep. Tifa wasn't sure when it was she finally stirred to pray to the porcelain gods, but the sun was starting to set outside instead of rise as she continued to dry heave into the bowl.

It was a while before her stomach decided it was empty enough to stop the action and she laid across the thankfully clean black tile of the bathroom floor. The cold was lovely and she was certain it wasn't worth it to crawl back to the couch anyway. Movement of any kind was something she didn't want to deal with until she'd had the chance to pass back out for at least another day or so.

That was until the extreme pain of the door outside slamming shook the ground and rattled her poor brain, if she hadn't already long sense lost anything in her tummy she'd of been back at the toilet. As it was she got up just long enough to lean against the wall with her back and put her head on her knees instead of the ground.

There was a small inkling of being annoyed when she heard Sephiroth come into the room but she was too dizzy to complain at him. If she hadn't been drugged she wouldn't be having such a bad reaction today, she was used to drinking and not dealing with much of a hangover. Whatever they gave her it was something strong if she was still wanting to pass out and her body wanted to be rid of it so fully.

She winced when he started the water, the opening crash of the liquid against the large tub grating against the migraine that she was starting to think she'd have for at least a week or two. She refused to let him see her crawling out of the bathroom so she just waited til he said he wanted to use it so she could tell him she wasn't moving.

It was unexpected when he lifted her up, making her blink as dots danced in front of her eyes and she felt the warm water curling over her muscles and soaking into her clothes. She frowned as she realized what he was doing when he set the soap in her hand.

"I don't need your help." She commented with a frown, glaring at him as best she could in her hangover state. "You should just back off. I'll be fine."

He didn't answer, didn't even look at her, just turned and left the room. She growled after him and got back out of the water to take her clothes off and bathe on her own, much as she didn't want to, she probably needed it to get off the smell if nothing else.

Sephiroth meanwhile was settled on the couch waiting and fuming a bit himself. She was more intelligent than she was acting and it always bothered him when people completely failed to live up to their potential. She could have been killed by that man, he'd certainly been willing to take utter advantage of her in her state, likely he was even the one that drugged her in the first place.

It was obvious the fact that she'd been sick the entire day wasn't just a lack of tolerance to alcohol. She had a constitution that would rival most men and she ran a bar, the drugs they'd given her to distract her had hit her system hard. Likely the first time she'd fallen prey to such a thing, but where she worked she should have known what to look for…if she hadn't been drinking to such an extreme in the first place then she would have noticed.

It bothered him not that he'd had to kill the scumbag that had attempted to take advantage of her but instead because she should have been in the right mind for it never to have been a problem. He drummed his fingers on the edge of the couch, unaware of how much it really was getting to him.

"Look, you don't have to stay here." She said as she exited the shower wearing a towel and with her hair tied up, tossing her clothes to one side of the couch. Her attitude was quickly returning but her eyes and face were still drawn so much he could tell instantly that she wasn't even near her full strength.

"As you obviously cannot watch yourself I think it is wisest if I stay here and keep an eye on you before you say or do something to blow our cover." Sephiroth returned with a edge he couldn't quite keep out of his tone. "You slept nearly the entire day after someone drugged you because you were too foolish to keep an eye on how many drinks you were taking in. Do you even have the vaguest idea of how many you took in?"

"It's none of your business either way." Tifa snorted at him, putting her hands on her hips a moment before shifting one arm to point a finger at him. "I didn't say anything at all about us and I'm gonna be just fine, better in fact if you get the hell out for a while. Nothing happened and I'm here now so just leave me the hell alone."

Sephiroth frowned outright at her as she was approaching the couch to push him away, grabbing her arm and tossing her along the length of the expensive furniture without blinking an eye. Holding her down with her body beneath his. He could still smell the soap and water on her, fresh from the bathroom, even a bit of mint where she'd taken a moment to brush her teeth. He held both her hands above her and pressed her body into the cushions so harshly there was no way she'd gain the leverage to push him away.

"You are a fool Lockheart." He managed after a moment of getting over his own surprise at his attraction to her almost naked form. "Some idiot nearly took advantage of you and if I hadn't walked in when I had then you wouldn't even remember if anything had happened."

He was almost growling at her, his tone trembled just a moment when he'd mentioned the fool he'd killed, too easily for the pervert, he shook her just a moment.

She was quiet, staring at him in fear as he held her, she was perfectly aware he'd left her without options because her mental and physical reflexes were simply too slowed at the moment and he'd backed her into a corner she couldn't just squirm free of.

"Sephiroth…" she finally managed, blushing horribly. "…I get it…just get off okay."

He was gone faster than she expected and she took in a deep breath and didn't move from the safety of her large blanket, the piece of cloth was the last shield between him and the last shreds of her dignity. Thankfully he'd turned his back on her respectfully, seated calmly at the other end of the couch again.

She hurried to get clothes on before considering him again. "Um…thank you. For stepping in and saving me from the jerk…whoever it was. I'm sorry I got so drunk…did you sit here all day?"

"Only for a while." He answered with neutral expression back when she walked enough into view that he knew it was okay to turn back. "I had some things I needed to do, thankfully it doesn't appear as if people are any the wiser as to our true identity's."

"That's good." She commented, sitting back down and sighing now that she was done being argumentative. Her head was still letting her know that she didn't want to have any alcohol for ages to come. "I still want to rest for a while and then possibly eat if my stomach will let me eat later. I um…thanks again…even if your approach is sorta odd I'm glad you were worried for me."

"Indeed." Sephiroth commented, considering himself why he'd have reason to concern himself as he got up. "I'll leave you for a time. I have some things I wish to accomplish. I'll return shortly."

He was back to brooding as he walked back down toward the area with people selling things, he wanted to bargain and get himself the replica of his old blade now that he'd made a little over the million gil he figured the guy would continue to ask. Instead of excitement over the idea of having the blade back he was distracted with thoughts of just why he had been so irritated by the actions of the man that had accosted Tifa.

Certainly he'd of been annoyed at almost any man attacking a woman in such a cowardly way, but he was downright personally slighted by it. He'd wanted to cause the man pain, to keep him from ever being able to touch her again. He'd only be fooling himself if he tried to reason it as needing to keep her in one piece to keep her group from killing him, he didn't fear them. He hadn't when she'd defended him at first and still didn't now, each day he should be healing more fully and before long he wouldn't need to concern himself with hesitating.

Then it was something else. Perhaps a need to repay one of the few people that had offered him kindness without expecting things in return. She could have killed him, could have left him for dead or turned on him when her friends wanted too or when the troops came to retrieve him. Yet, even though he'd wronged her so completely she continued to offer him forgiveness.

She was innocent as Aeris had been before he'd been forced to slay her while being pulled by another…yet somehow if Tifa were to die when he could stop it, it would be more innocent blood on his hands. He wanted to stop her from being destroyed like so much that he touched.

He wanted her in other ways as well, he wouldn't lie to himself there either. She enticed him as few women had ever managed, he had considered ravaging her right there on the couch, another reason he was glad to be out and walking now. Clearing his head from such foolish thoughts, she might have been attracted to him physically but she wouldn't want him in any other manner. The best chance he had was when she had been wasted the night before. Nonetheless it was for the best, he had too many things he needed to do to allow such distractions at the moment. He'd been allowing too much while they were waiting here for the others…he needed to have her contact them…Jenova needed to be destroyed before he could consider what would become of his life after the deed had been accomplished.

As it was it had been too long sense he'd had a status report, her friends should have already been able to track out at least a couple of the pieces and hopefully have destroyed them already. It was bothersome that he hadn't gotten a report but he wanted to leave, to deal with the issue of re-equipping himself with the weapon of his choice.

People still stared and they'd been garnering a small amount of fame amongst the local fans but after a more public mis-use of the sword earlier he figured that was helping their case. People would say there were a few close individuals that had costumes but none that were real if any spys were to arrive from their enemy. He had to admit that there were a few other costumes that were so close to himself it was a little creepy to see people worshipping him so.

There was even someone with a poster he vaguely remembered signing ages ago, thankfully he'd aged enough in the decade sense that no one took him for more than a costume. It was amusing that one individual even stated they thought his eyes and hair were a little off for a truly authentic look. All the better for them but it was very interesting to see just how much some people still considered him a hero, he overheard one person even arguing that his previous actions from years before weren't his fault and that the company had driven him mad.

He finished the transaction and made a show of tripping over the sword he'd just purchased a couple of times for those that witnessed it before ducking out and moving back for their room. She was out on the couch by the time he'd returned. He watched her for a time, sighing at her peaceful expression, at least nothing had come from the death of the man that had attacked her. Likely the hotel manager wanted to keep it quiet during such a large event and there wouldn't be an investigation. It was just as well, he wasn't as subtle as he should have been.

He glanced to her phone as it rang, she was still out, likely he'd face a row of questions but he was too curious as to how things were going and Tifa wasn't going to be entertaining until she was feeling better. He flipped it open and smirked at the silence after he said hello.

End Chapter

This chapter was painful. I don't think I like it. I'm out of town and wanted to write so I might fix it later. Fun Cloud/Seph interaction to come.

-Nera

To my reviewers:

Toya Kei - She tends to be. It's sorta her character.

hype machine - Thanks for the awesome review. You made me feel like I should work on this fiction for a bit!